When the full-time whistle went off at the Santiago Bernabeu, the Real Madrid players and bench set off towards one player: Jose Luis Mato Sanmartin, also known as, Joselu. The Real Madrid No. 14 had collapsed near the center circle clutching his face in disbelief. Jubilant teammates were climbing over the club’s new hero. The club had commissioned ‘ i por la 15’ (and for the 15) shirts in anticipation, which the players held up during the celebrations. Real Madrid is now going to Wembley for the 15th Champions League crown and its No. 14 has made it possible.
Joselu, now 34, was once discarded by Madrid 12 years ago. He fought his way across three countries and eight clubs, through the cold and windy nights at Stoke, to play for Madrid again. Two years ago, when Madrid lifted the 14th in Paris, Joselu, in a replica Madrid white, was cheering them on from in the stands.
On Wednesday night, he resurrected Madrid from the death to take it to the final. The semifinal against Bayern Munich will be famously remembered for his first and third touch – two touches to put the ball in the net twice in the 88th and 91st minutes. They were all that Madrid needed to turn this around in its favour. Like the countless other superstars-in-the-making or Galacticos had done so in the past in vintage Real Madrid style. Vinicius Jr. Rodrygo. Cristiano Ronaldo. Karim Benzema. Benzema, the Ballon d’Or-winning striker, was replaced by Joselu as the No. 9 when he arrived on loan from Espanyol last year.
It was supposed to be Kylian Mbappe, but Madrid and Fiorentino Perez would be kept waiting. They had to do with Joselu. But Carlo Ancelotti said last July that Joselu was the only No. 9 he needed for Real Madrid to compete for all titles. Then in December, he pointed out that, “Joselu is a great finisher and we have to take advantage of his quality.”
Over the weekend, La Liga No. 36 was wrapped with Joselu scoring a goal in the 93rd minute against Cadiz. He had made a space for himself in a star-studded Madrid line-up. He had nine goals in La Liga despite playing just 1496 minutes. In the Champions League, he had scored three goals in the group stages in limited game-time.
Real Madrid players engulf Joselu after the team’s win over Bayern Munich. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES
He followed up his first career goal in the competition against Napoli by apologising to the Madrid fans for all the chances he had squandered before that. But Ancelotti said there was no need for that. “That he scores goals is important for him, but a player has to apologise only when he doesn’t work and he always works,” said the Italian.
And Joselu worked again to provide the spark in the Champions League to keep the dream and the title alive. The title that matters the most for Real Madrid. But for 20 minutes, it seemed like that dream was set to come crashing down after Alphonso Davies cut inside from the left and unleashed a thunderous right-footer to stun the Bernabeu. Madrid, which hadn’t lost in the Champions League all season, was heading towards a first home defeat.
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The Bernabeu until then was teeming with expectation for the goal which would tilt the tie Madrid’s way. Early in the second half, Vinicius was roaring on the sea of white behind Manuel Neuer’s goal to raise the noise. Then it was Dani Carvajal’s turn to do so. Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo followed suit. With Madrid pouring forward in numbers, Bayern struck on the counter through Davies in the 68th minute.
Davies would then put the ball into his own net two minutes later, but a foul on Joshua Kimmich in the build-up ruled the goal out, which added to Madrid’s frustrations. Neuer furthered the anguish by pulling off saves from Vinicius and Rodrygo, while Bayern squandered an excellent opportunity to finish Madrid off on the break.
In the 81st minute, Ancelotti introduced Joselu and Brahim Diaz while Thomas Tuchel took off Harry Kane and Jamal Musiala, Bayern’s biggest threat on the counterattack by the 85th minute.
Over the years, Madrid has had many incredible comebacks, through many memorable goals and sometimes shrouded in chaos. But a goal gift-wrapped from Neuer to aid this comeback was the last on anyone’s mind. Joselu hadn’t had his first touch until the 88th minute, and with that, he finally pulled Madrid level. A ferocious Vinicius drive from outside the box, bounced in front of the Bayern captain before thudding off his chest to fall into the path of the onrushing Joselu, who accepted the gift and fired it into the net. The goal injected belief back into the stands.
Joselu scores past Manuel Neuer after an error from the Bayern goalkeeper for Madrid’s first goal. | Photo Credit: AFP
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Two minutes later, Joselu stabbed the ball into the net again after the ball found its way amidst all the bodies inside the box. Bernabeu briefly exploded in euphoria before the assistant quelled the celebrations by putting the flag up for offside. Madrid players weren’t convinced though. Luka Modric, Dani Carvajal and thousands of Madristas wagged their fingers in protest at the referee and after a VAR check, which showed Joselu was well onside, the goal was awarded.
The lid was lifted once again and Joselu finally had his moment in front of the Madrid supporters. At full-time, Joselu was visibly overcome by emotion and the magnitude of his feat. Remarkably, Joselu’s only goal in his first Madrid stint came from the near-same spot his match-winner against Bayern was scored from. It was the eighth goal in a routine 8-1 win over Almeria in 2011 before the Madrid Castilla was cast away.
While Mbappe is expected to become the next Galactico and Brazil’s new wunderkind Endrick is set to link up with Vinicius and Rodrygo, there is still no clarity on whether Madrid would exercise the option to buy Joselu permanently at the end of the season. But with a Champions League final on the horizon, Joselu could yet write another chapter in his fairytale Los Blancos script.
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